Make the Connection
by Dreamingeternal
Summary: A series of short articles in which I draw connections between Harry a Potter and a random other subject. I try to be a little more sensible, deep and philosophic than the mugglecast podcasts' version of the game.
1. Goths

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to ****Harry Potter**** and many of the various other things I intend to discuss.  
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**As many of you other HP fans may do in your spare time, I often find myself comparing movies or other books I read to Harry Potter. It has become a bit of a game to prove I am a devoted fan by finding good, **_**profound **_**similarities between Harry Potter and random subjects. (As opposed to the podcasters on mugglecast, who, though I do love them, just get silly and random when it comes to this game.) This is my first installment of what I hope to be a series of short articles concerning the results of my endeavors.  
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Make the Connection: HARRY POTTER and GOTHS

One major common plight shared by the well-loved book series Harry Potter and the culture of young people labeled as "goths" is the condemnation they face from the fanatics of the Church. Both have been accused of promoting the belief in Satan or the practice of actual witchcraft. Again, in both cases, these accusations are wildly off-base.

Additionally, both goths and the Harry Potter storyline draw upon pre-existing cultures for inspiration. Many goths are concerned with the dress and paraphernalia f the Medieval Period, including ornate metal crosses and lace-up corsets. Harry Potter, on the other hand, is a literary melting pot for myths and legends of various cultures. Names of certain characters are derived from Greek deities and constellations (i.e. Minerva, Draco), while the numerous fantastical creatures come from folktales of lands from the British Isles (red caps) to Japan (kappas).

**This particular subject was suggested to me by my sister. However, I will run out of ideas soon, so if you have any suggestions for what you want me to try and make the connection to, please mention them in a review. Thank you.**


	2. Sweeney Todd

**This is one of the first ones I wrote down. Since I didn't properly elaborate in the last post, the true object of this game for me is to come up with as many believable connections (that means not too strained or convoluted) within a short period of time after hearing the prompt. Obviously, I made this one shortly after the Sweeney Todd movie. Is it sad that I was thinking about Harry Potter while watching it?**

Make the Connection: HARRRY POTTER and SWEENEY TODD (the movie)

First off (and least importantly), the Sweeney Todd movie is basically a Death Eater reunion with Alan Rickman (Snape), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), and Timothy Spall (Peter "Wormtail" Pettigrew) all acting in it. That aside, I find that Todd's character relates to Sirius in that he was a handsome young man with a life full of promise who was wrongfully convicted of a crime he hadn't committed and sent far away. Upon each man's return, all his loved ones were either dead or out of his reach.

Also, Todd relates to Harry because he, too, in his angst and bitterness, fails to acknowledge the people who love and support him. Sweeney completely ignores Mrs. Lovett even though she is desperately devoted to him. Harry snaps at Ron and Hermione extremely often throughout the later books when they are only trying to help.

**Did you find this entertaining? Should I write more? Any suggestions for topics? Please review!**


	3. Today's English Class Discussion

**This one isn't your typical Make the Connection. It was just some thoughts I had about a class discussion a while ago that I decided fit in with the format. I wasn't actually intentionally playing the game. **

Make the Connection: HARRY POTTER and TODAY'S ENGLISH CLASS DISCUSSION

Today in English class we were discussing the characteristics that make up a mature person. One trait that continually came up was independence, or self-sufficiency. In Harry Potter, however, I find that the opposite holds true. I feel that Harry's desire to face his problems by himself marks his immaturity. He displays this attitude in his battle of wills against Umbridge in book 5, in which he subjects himself to torturous detentions rather than injure his pride by reporting her to authorities. He does it again when he continually tries to shake off Ron and Hermione during his hunt for the horcruxes. This shows, to me, that he is too stubborn and naïve to understand that sometimes it is okay to accept help from others.

**As always, your thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Review please. **


	4. The Holocaust

**Okay, I asked you guys for suggestions and the first one I got was "Book 7 and the Holocaust" (submitted by Romance and Musicals). My only problem with that is that the Holocaust parallels were intentional on J.K. Rowling's part, which kind of defeats the purpose of the game. However, I did it anyway since it was my first review.**

Make the Connection: HP BOOK 7 and THE HOLOCAUST

When the trio first learn that muggleborns are to register themselves at the ministry and that bad things are happening to those who do, Ron offers to protect Hermione by having her pretend to be part of his family. Many people used this very same tactic during the Holocaust: Sympathetic Christian called Righteous Gentiles would assimilate some of their Jewish friends and neighbors into their own families (such as in the book Number the Stars).

Also, the evil wizard Grindelwald (whom we learn much more about in this book) is an obvious Hitler allusion. He even set up internment camps for his enemies and the "inferior" race he was attempting to dominate. The very German-sounding Nurmengard certainly brings Hitler's concentration camps to mind.

Furthermore, the scene in which the trio gathers around Ron's radio listening to Potterwatch is reminiscent of a similar scene from Anne Frank's Diary in which the family in hiding gathers around a radio to listen to news about the war.

**There are plenty more connections, I'm sure but these were the first three I thought of. You can tell me ones I missed if it gives you satisfaction to do so, though I'm not going to add any more to this chapter. Don't forget to review – I need to know what you all think!**


	5. Twilight Saga

**This wasn't originally written as a Make the Connection – it was just me babbling on. So that's why it doesn't really fit the normal format; it's more of a compare and contrast rather than just comparing.**

**Disclaimer: I own neither ****HP**** nor ****Twilight****. Duh. **

Make the Connection: HARRY POTTER and THE TWILIGHT SAGA

Nowadays everyone is calling the Twilight series "the new Harry Potter". But to me, the two are incomparable. One you read for the writing style – for the little hints and tidbits that J. K. slipped in throughout the series. The other you read for the pure feelings. No other novel has affected me the way Stephenie Meyer's works do on the emotional level. If you asked me which series I preferred, I don't think I could choose between them.

Yet although the stories themselves are extremely different, certain aspects associated with the books exhibit similarities. Both have huge and talented fan bases, for one thing. There are so many dedicated fansites and lexicons out there on these amazing books. The hype in the media over each series has been enormous.

Furthermore, the authors of each series have several things in common. Both of them obviously truly love their fans. And both keep in touch with their fans through official websites, on which they post extra bits of information that weren't actually included in their novels. Also both brilliant women have recently experienced what they consider serious infringements on their rights as authors. J.K. Rowling had to deal with Steve Vanderark of the Harry Potter Lexicon trying to publish his website in book form and the problem even turned into a lawsuit. Stephenie Meyer, of course, just had an unfinished copy of Midnight Sun leaked unto the internet against her will. So, despite the books existing on completely separate planes of enjoyment, they are more alike than meets the eye.

**I'm thinking of discontinuing my Make the Connection series after this one unless I come up with something really clever. Or I could keep going. Let me know if anyone actually follows this and as always, suggestions are more than welcome. **


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